1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide from isobutane which contains a small amount of isobutylene and especially to a process which involves oligomerizing the isobutylene, separating the oligomer product, and oxidizing the isobutane substantially free of isobutylene to form tertiary butyl hydroperoxide.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Methods are known for the production of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide by the molecular oxygen oxidation of isobutane at elevated temperature and pressure. In this regard, attention is drawn to U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,461 of Winkler, et al., to U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,108 of Grane and to U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,081 of Foster, et al. Frequently, the tertiary butyl hydroperoxide product from the oxidation is used to epoxidize olefins such as propylene by procedures such as those described in basic U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,635.
A problem which has existed in this technology is that the isobutane which is fed to the oxidation may contain a significant concentration of butenes, notably isobutylene. The presence of isobutylene in the oxidation feed has an adverse effect on the selective production of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in the oxidation process. Illustratively, the presence of as little as 1% isobutylene in the isobutane feed to the oxidation results in a decrease of the order of 8% by weight in tertiary butyl hydroperoxide production and a substantial increase in the formation of undesirable by products.